Tea-Themed Bridal Shower

Amongst planning the layout of the reception tables, the order of the processional, my overall survival of the wedding day, etc., there was one wedding related event that I didn't have to plan – my bridal shower.

My bridesmaids graciously hosted an elegant tea-themed bridal shower in honor of my – at the time - upcoming nuptials.  No detail was spared; Pastel green table cloths covered five long tables – three tables for guests, one for gifts, and one for cake and punch.  Upon each guest table sat two vintage teacups with saucers, each holding a bouquet of fresh purple flowers.  Placed on the saucer were teabags filled with green tea adorning custom made tags that said “Brittiny and Kevin” one side and “The Perfect Blend” on the other side.  Additionally, each place setting had its own set of materials needed for each game.  The cake table held not only the beautiful cake, but also the delicious green punch, nuts, and handmade mints.  There were color coordinating cups, napkins, and forks for the occasion, as well. 

The games we played were surprisingly fun and resulted in loads of laughs.  Here is what the bridesmaids’ planned:

The first game lasted the entire time of the bridal shower.  Each girl started out with one clothes pin that they clipped to their shirt.  The only rule was that you could not say the groom’s name and if someone caught you saying the groom’s name then they got to steal your clothes pin.  The object was to be the person with the most clothes pins at the end of the party.

The second game was bride bingo.  Each person had a custom made bingo board that had a question about the soon-to-be wedded couple in each box.  Examples of some of the questions are, “Where did the groom propose,” “How long has the couple been dating,” and “How many dresses did the bride try on before she found the one?”  The guests were allowed time to answer each question to the best of their knowledge.  

Next, the bridesmaids read the questions and I answered them.  If the guest wrote down the correct answer, then they can mark that square.  The object was the get five squares in a row like a regular bingo card (across, up and down, or diagonal).

The third and final game involved matching each guest with their celebrity husband.  Each guest secretly wrote down their celebrity husband on a small piece of paper, folded it, and put it in a collective basket.  The bridesmaids then pulled out each name, read it aloud, and each guest had to match the celebrity with the guest whom they thought wrote it down.  To make this easier, the bridesmaids had given each guest a list of names of all of the guests at the party.  The object was to have the most correct matches.

The bridesmaids also had each guest write their name and address on a small envelope which ended up being the envelopes used for the thank you cards that I filled out later.  So thoughtful!

The prizes for the games were the beautiful teacup center pieces.  I didn't win any of the games, but I received a teacup just for being the bride!  After the games we loaded up on cake and punch while oohing, aahing, and chuckling as I unwrapped the gifts.

I am not the girly-est of girls and I only have a few girlfriends whom I hang out with on occasion, so being in a room full of the coolest ladies I know ended up being more fun than I had originally thought.

I’m Back… No, Really!

Seriously!  Yes, I know, there have been several gaps of silence followed up with I-apologize-for-not-writing-more-posts posts and the I-am-back-and-starting-to-write-again posts. A lot of crying wolf, I know.  However, now that the wedding, honeymoon, and move are over and done with, I can get back to my hobbies.  Seriously.  Hey, wait!  Just hear me out.

I did not realize how much of a life suck wedding planning was going to be.  Holy.  Crap.  I do not mean that wedding planning sucked; I mean there is a lot to it (especially when on a tight budget).  I swear I had more free time working and going to college than working and planning this wedding.  It is over now and things couldn't have gone better (pictures to come)!

Another thing that stole a lot of time was that we planned to go on a honeymoon right after the wedding.  When I mean right after I mean we left town the very next day.

Furthermore, we had planned (maybe stupidly) to move from an apartment to a house right after we got back from the honeymoon.  This meant that we had two weeks to pack and move once we got back into town.  We did it, though (surprisingly)! 

What does all of this have to do with tea, you ask?  Well, I had a tea themed bridal shower, tea themed wedding, and spotted several tea venues/items on our honeymoon… which makes for some interesting blogging content.  Additionally, I have thought of other interesting tea topics to write about since the last time I have posted (if only I would actually write for this blog as much as I thought about writing for it…).  Trust me, I have never stopped thinking about this blog and I am not about to give up on it; I just had to take a break to get over a few time draining life events.

All of my tea ware made the trip safely.  I have an even bigger tea nook/office so review pictures will be a bit better and easier to take.

I hope to start more regular posts in the very near future.  I’m serious!

Soon To Be Tea-Themed Wedding

I am sure you can figure out from the title of this post where all my free time has gone.  I still love tea (a lot) and think about tea (a lot), but, after getting engaged in August of 2011, wedding planning has consumed my tea blogging time.

However, I hope I can make up the lost time to my wonderful readers by managing to spare a few moments from my wedding research to share some of the details about my tea-themed wedding.

Tea has been such an important part of my life over the past five years (almost the entire time I have been with my significant other) that I thought I should incorporate it into the ceremony and reception.  The fiancee loves tea, as well, so he doesn’t mind.

Because I love green tea most of all, my wedding colors are green, black, and white.  At the ceremony, the unity sand will be in these three colors.  Additionally, the bridesmaids’ dresses and the groomsmen’s vests and ties will be green.  At the reception, there will be green tulle bows on the backs of white covered chairs.  

I am making three custom blended teas to serve at the luncheon reception and to be given as favors; one to represent the bride (green tea base with raspberry, apricot, and spearmint), one to represent the groom (black tea base with peach, vanilla, and ginger), and a wedding blend that combines the two (oolong base with raspberry and vanilla).  Even though most of my guests are coffee drinkers, it is my party and I will have tea if I want to.*

Teapots and teacups are going to be used as centerpieces.  A glass teapot will be in the center of each table holding a small bouquet of flowers while two glass teacups, one sitting on either side of the teapot, hold green glass pebbles and a tea-light candle.

One can only take the tea theme so far meaning I had to stretch the concept by using generic leaves and vines in some places.  For example, the cake knife and server, the toasting flutes, and the tiered cake will all be decked out with leaves and vines.

I am hoping all of this detailed planning is time well spent and everything comes together during our celebration in the fall.  Still so much to do…

*Not to worry, guests, coffee will still be served, as well.

Happy New Year... Hello?

Is anyone there?

Oh wait... is six months a little too late to be fashionably late?

When I got engaged on August 31st, 2011, I didn't realize my life would be consumed by a gigantic wedding planning monster.  I have managed to get a lot of the wedding planning stuff done early, however.  Therefore, this very weekend I was able to come up for some air, only to realize I haven't posted on my beloved tea blog since... wow... last year.

Not only have I not posted on this blog, but I have neglected tea forums that I regularly lurk and post.  I tweet only every now and then.  And, I almost forgot I had a Facebook fan page for this blog.  Being buried under invitation samples, cake designs, and color swatches kind of does that.  Not to mention my poor tea ware hasn't been touched in months.

I am beginning to shake off the dust and get back into the hobby I love the most.

I have done some clean up to the blog.  I took away the affiliate links section... something I have been wanting to do for a while.  I always felt like that section made my reviews look dishonest.  I also took away the vendor links section.  It looked cluttered.   If you would really like to know my favorite vendors, just ask me... or ask around the tea forums.

Which brings me to tell you that I have added a section about my favorite tea-related links.  Several of them are forums filled with amazing tea lovers, aficionados, and connoisseurs.  Finally, I have changed the location of a few sections mainly for aesthetics. 

I still have some more editing to do before I am pleased with the layout of this blog.  For one thing, I need a logo.  I have wanted a logo since I made this site - 5 years ago - but have been unable to create or think of one I like.  So, the yellow gaiwan will remain in the header for now.

I already have a few blog posts written as well as a few ideas for other posts aside from tea reviews.  My next goal is to be more active with the Facebook fan page and Twitter.

Thanks to all of those readers and fans who stuck by me through my wedding planning coma and didn't pull the plug on this blog, yet.

See you soon...

Not-So-Good Tea Pairings

I have read many books and blogs about pairing tea with other things to make a great combo – tea and chocolate, tea and almonds, tea and oatmeal, etc. However, what about things that should be avoided while drinking tea? Here is my mental list of not-so-good tea pairings that I have added to over the years (side note – in all combinations the teas were unflavored and consumed while hot):

Black Tea with Cheetos Puffs – While at work one day, I wrestled the vending machine for some cheesy poofs as a mid-morning snack. I tried washing it down with the black tea that I had brought with me to work that morning which resulted in a smoked fake-cheese aftertaste. I was dumb enough to try the same thing with green tea at a different point in time to discover that was even worse. I like cheesy poofs, okay?

Green Tea with Grapefruit – After eating a grapefruit I felt like I wanted to keep this “health food” trend going so I brewed up some green tea only to find the combination was an unpleasant grassy, acidic, bitter taste. However, black tea with grapefruit isn’t bad.

Green Tea with Original Flavor Pringles – I love them both separately, but together the salty/grassy mixture is just… weird.

Green Tea and Peanut Butter – I thought this combination was going to be okay since tea and nutty flavors go well together (I love Dragon Well!). I didn’t find the combo all too pleasant when I tried pairing green tea with peanut butter on toast. Black tea might not be so bad, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Green Tea and Nachos – Yeah… um… no. Just… no.

White Tea and Chicken Alfredo Pasta – I don’t know what I was thinking. I had finished making a cup of white tea at the same time the fiancée had finished dinner, so I brought the cup with me to the table - bad idea. I thought it would be fine considering sometimes pasta Alfredo contains broccoli (which is similar to the vegetal flavor of some white teas). Nope. The combination of white tea and Alfredo sauce doesn’t work for me.

That is all that I can think of at the moment. I am sure I will be adding to this list again soon. I think it is safe to say that I do not like the combo of tea and cheese flavors. However, I am infatuated with both separately.

Do you have any not-so-good pairings that you would like to warn about?

Oolongs and Pu Erhs will probably never make this list because I usually save those to drink only when I have time to dedicate to Gong Fu Cha. Thus, I concentrate on the tea alone and do not pair it with anything else.

Image Reference Links: Cheetos Puffs, Nachos

The First Casualty

After four years of studying, writing about and drinking tea, the unthinkable happened… for the first time I broke a piece of my teaware.

Gasp.

I feel ashamed and remorseful. It was eight o’clock on Christmas morning and I wanted to make some tea before family arrived at my place to feast and open gifts. In a rush, I grabbed my tea tray with my Tsuki teapot and Holiday mug and headed to the sink to clean them before preparing the tea. After thoroughly rinsing the teapot and giving it one last shake to remove the excess water… it happened. The teapot slipped out of my wet hands and fell into the sink. That is when I heard the ominous sound. I cursed and looked down to confirm my suspicions… yes, what was once an elegant piece of teaware was now two incomplete pieces. My heart broke equally as much.



Ok, so, the break isn’t THAT bad. It is just the handle of the teapot in which a trip to the craft store for the right epoxy will hopefully remedy my clumsiness. At the moment, I am still using the teapot by wrapping a tea towel around it to pick it up and pour.

I would hate to stop using this teapot just because the handle is missing. First of all, I use gaiwans all the time and they don’t even have handles. Second, this teapot is the perfect one cup size, especially for my small Holiday mug. Finally, I just simply like this teapot too much to give up on it even with it now having a minor inconvenience.

So why am I making such a big deal about this injured teapot? The reason is that I look at this as a reminder to slow down. I haven’t even had the time to write about tea in the last few months. Why? Oh, where is my list of excuses? I know it is around here somewhere. I have changed my list of priorities and in doing so I have become rushed, clumsy, lazy, and stressed in other aspects of my life, not just with tea.

This episode is a reminder to get myself back on track with what I do best; developing plans, lists, and structures to organize and prioritize my time so that I am not rushed/stressed and that I do not overlook the details.

I want to get back to thinking and writing about tea on a regular basis. I also have a wedding to plan and implement by the end of September (tea themed, of course!). These are the two major goals on the list for 2012. I just hope that there are no more casualties.

Sue and Esther's Tea Room

Last weekend I had to travel six hours north for a corporate party in Michigan. Whilst there, my mother and I decided to make a weekend out of it by visiting the nearby city of Frankenmuth.

The holiday theme shops were gorgeous and a gem to walk through. Even with it being only the beginning of November, seeing all of the Christmas décor definitely put me in the holiday spirit. All of the shopping eventually made us hungry for lunch. Luckily, while browsing for things to do in town, I had come across a tea room that recently opened near the main strip of shops.

Once I stepped inside Sue and Esther’s Tea Room I noticed the interior is much prettier than the exterior, as the tea room is tacked onto the end of a brown brick mini-mall. We were greeted with the friendly face of the owner and shown to a table in the back of the restaurant. The owner was soon replaced with our waitress who not only donned a friendly smiled but a cute tea party hat.

After looking over the menu, I found their prices to be reasonable for a typical tea room. I ordered “Sue’s Savory Salad” – greens, tomato, cucumber, cheese, cranberries, almonds, chicken, and house dressing – plus a cup of Ceylon tea. All of that came to around $10 before a T.I.P. The salad was rather large and all of the ingredients tasted fresh. My complaints would be with the chicken – it was dry – and the house dressing – it was spicy. A marinade of brine with the chicken would help.

However, I am not going to pick on the food too much because this is a tea room… in which I expect emphasis on the tea – and there was!

I could not find a list of their tea selection online which worried me if this was going to be another tea’d off disaster. However, once in the restaurant I was more than pleased with their variety of teas. They had a little of everything for just about every style of tea drinker. There were unflavored teas of the basic four; then they had a few flavored teas for each type. They also had iced tea and even bubble tea.

The cup of Ceylon tea that I ordered was perfectly steeped. If we had had more time I would have ordered the endless pot of tea ($3.50 per person) and tried more.

In retrospect I should have ordered the green tea to see if they knew about the correct water temperatures and steep times. Although, I believe the staff is very knowledgeable in the field of tea. I didn’t personally ask any questions, but I overheard a few groups of ladies inquiring about certain types of tea in which the wait staff seemed happy to answer. They described the flavors of tea and even the correct pronunciations which is more than I can say for the last tea room I went to.

Walking to the front of the restaurant to pay the bill, I took a peek into their small gift shop to find a trio of ladies oohing and aahing over pastel colored tea ware. After the cash exchange with the smiley, friendly owner, we were on our way out of the door properly satiated and caffeinated.

Even with the overall girly theme of pastel colors and frilly hats, if I lived near this tea room, I would most certainly be a frequent visitor.